The keynote speaker at the recent Yorkton Terriers Sportsman's Dinner, Jeff Odgers, lived the dream. It didn't come easy. It took a lot of effort and quite a few lumps along the way, but Odgers found his way to make his mark, in more ways than one, in his 12 years in the National Hockey League (NHL).
Odgers shared some of the experiences of his hockey career with the crowd at the dinner interspersed with a good deal of humor and wit.
He says growing up as a youngster, he wanted two things in life. He wanted to be a hockey player and he wanted to become a farmer.
Somewhat tongue-in-cheek, Odgers says in his first post hockey resume, he listed his qualifications as, "ex-hockey player, almost graduated high school, could drive a tractor and loves cold beer." He decided to end his resume there as he didn't want to appear overqualified. He says he received two job offers in response to his resume. The first was an invitation to audition for the job of Willie, the Brandon Wheat Kings mascot on days he was sick. The other was an offer to become the president of the Toronto Maple Leafs. He continued to make people laugh at his post hockey days throughout his presentation.
After his hilarious introduction, Odgers traced his path to his NHL career which spanned 12 years, 821 games, four NHL teams, an IHL and an AHL team and a ton of penalty minutes.
He started playing minor hockey in Spy Hill, Rocanville, Langenburg and surrounding towns.
He was cut by the Yorkton Mallers when he attended his first AAA Midget camp. He went on to play midget hockey in Saskatoon where he became the property of the WHL Brandon Wheat Kings where he played four seasons. Playing for the Wheat Kings was where his style evolved, Odgers says.
Reaching the junior level, he discovered there were many others just like him. He had to find something to separate himself to make the team, he recalls. "For me that was being an up and down guy willing to fight, drop the gloves, stand up for your teammates and just go from there," Odgers describes his style.
In his last year, his draft year, Odgers had a pretty good season, putting up some decent numbers and earning a ton of penalty minutes, he remembers.
At interview time he talked to a scout with the Washington Capitals, current head coach of the Nashville Predators, Barry Trotz. He recalls Trotz telling him, he'd pick him in the sixth round if he was still available. The sixth round came and went without a call from the Predators. Odgers remembers wondering what he'd do as he'd placed his hopes on being drafted, getting a chance to go to camp, essentially everything he'd worked for.
Three weeks later he received a call from the director of player personnel for Minnesota North Stars inviting him to a player development camp. He went and worked hard for six weeks, earning an invitation to the Minnesota North Stars camp.
Returning to Brandon, Odgers talked with his then coach Doug Sauter. Sauter told him the Minnesota camp is a free agent camp where Odgers was an unknown quantity without much support. "When you go there, you gotta make them write your name down every time you're on the ice," Sauter instructed him.
Taking Sauter's advice to heart, Odgers travelled to Michigan for the tryout. Studying the team roster, he noted team captain Basil McRae, also team tough guy. Coming up against McRae in his first scrimmage, Odgers scraps with McRae. They fight four times in a matter of two shifts. They end up getting kicked off the ice by the coach.
Odgers was sent back to complete his 20-year-old year with the Wheat Kings where he received two contract offers, one from the San Jose Sharks and one from the Vancouver Canucks. He opted to go with the Sharks.
In July of that year the Sharks decided to send him to Finland to have him work on his hands and his skating. The Finns were looking for an import who would lead the team in scoring. Playing in Finland was a great experience Odgers recollects.
On his return from Finland, Odgers was sent to an IHL expansion team in Kansas City, Missouri. That's where he met Link Dietz, possibly the toughest, scariest man he's every played hockey with.
Attending the San Jose training camp, Odgers is sent home as one of the first cuts at camp. While he was dealing with his disappointment, Odgers received the call he waited for his entire life. He ended up spending five years in San Jose, serving as team captain. He recalls beating the first seeded Detroit Red Wings in seven games in the playoffs that year.
That summer he was traded to the Boston Bruins, the first time he'd been traded in his hockey career. He didn't mind. The Bruins were his favorite team growing up. They hadn't missed the playoffs in 29 years. That year they finished dead last. The club brought in a new coach, Pat Burns who brought in his own guys. Odgers was facing the prospect of ending his NHL career. He swore that if he ever got another chance, he would never take one day for granted in the NHL.
Just when the thought of leaving the NHL was sinking in, a call came from the Colorado Avalanche offering to sign Odgers if he could work out a buyout from the Bruins. Despite the horror stories circulating about Harry Sinden, he and Odgers were able to work out a deal. "Harry Sinden is still on my Christmas card list today," says Odgers.
He recalls joining a veritable NHL who's who in the Colorado dressing room. Patrick Roy, Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, Claude Lemieux, all potential hall-of-famers were there.
Odgers felt he went to a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. "Not only was this a great team but those guys were all first class guys," Odgers recollects. They were all living proof that one didn't need an attitude or be a little arrogant to be good.
The coach at the time was one of Odgers' favorite coaches, Mark Crawford. Crawford didn't pigeonhole his players. He played those who earned the right to play by their performance. A player could reasonably expect to get ice time with the top line at some point during the season.
Two years in a row the Avalanche went to game seven of the western conference finals, one game away from going to the Stanley Cup finals, losing to the Dallas Stars both years.
All good things end. Odgers' time in Colorado drew to its inevitable end. He was picked up by Minnesota in the expansion draft. He felt he was ready to settle in with his new team.
Just as he was feeling good about the move, Odgers was informed that he'd been picked up by Atlanta in the waiver draft. He wasn't exactly pleased by the prospect of relocating again.
As it turned out the move to the Atlanta Thrashers organization was a good one. He came in to fill a leadership role and work with the younger players. A new hockey market, the team had a lot of fun and energy. Odgers finished his NHL career after three years in Atlanta.
Occasionally players experience a sense of loss when tragedy strikes a teammates or teammates. The best advice Odgers received going through those times was to be able to honor their lives by keeping their memory alive inside of him. "It's a matter of taking part of them, whether it be a part of their personality or sense of humor, work ethic, humbleness, or their strengths and incorporate it into your life to make you a better person and to motivate yourself," he explains.
Odgers says the Terriers have put together an impressive team this year. He hopes they are able to take advantage of what they have. Championships aren't easy to win. Odgers was able to claim one in his 17 years in hockey.
While it takes a team to win a championship, it all depends on a group of individuals who are able to come together and not leave any 'what ifs' on the table, he says. Whether its the end of the season or the end of a career, one can't look back and say, " What if I would have worked harder? What if I had paid more of a price? What if I would have been a better teammate? Looked after myself better off the ice?"
"Be that teammate when you're sitting in that dressing room and your teammates look across the dressing room and they look you in the eye, they know you're there. They know you'll do absolutely anything to win a game. And you expect that from your teammates in that room. You see the same look in their eyes."
"If you guys are able to find that and bring that together, there's no reason you guys can't win this, not one reason whatsoever," Odgers insists.
Many people have moved their lives to figure out what they're going to do or how their lives will go. That's not the case for a hockey player. They have to decide now, at the junior level. "Do you want to be a hockey player? Do you want to win a championship? How bad do you want this? It has to be now."
Odgers describes his passion for hockey. "You know I could grow 100 bushels to acre wheat crop, and it wouldn't come close to giving me the same feeling as lining up for a big game, the national anthem playing, the coming together as a team and winning a game. It is an awesome experience. If hockey's in your heart and it's a passion, and something you really want to do, give yourself a chance. It's one of the most awesome things you can ever do in your life," he closes.
